John christiansen



(No Model.)

' J. GHRISTIANSEN.

SLEEPING OAR.

No. 248,915, Patented Nov. 1,1881.

. WITNESSES 0 IJVVENTOR N. PEYERS. Plwln-Lllhogmphcr. washm mn, n. c.

EINlTE STATES PATENT JOHN CHRISTIANSEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE CHICAGO,

BURLINGTON AND QUINCY RAlLROA'D COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

SLEEPING-CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 248,915, dated November 1, 1881,

' Application filed July 30, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN CHRIsTIANsEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in the Construction and Protection of Bertlis for Sleeping-Cars, of which the following is a specification, reference being bad to the drawing hereto annexed and forming a part of said specification.

My invention embraces the following devices, to wit:

It consists, first, of a novel form of low stationary rail attached to the outer and upper 1 rim of theframe of the berth,for a convenience in egress and ingress, and a protection to the occupant, as hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

It consists, second, of a novel construction of protecting-straps upon the sides of the berths of sleeping-cars, which avoids the danger of the occupant of a berth being thrown out in the event of accident, as hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

Said accompanying drawing is a perspective view of said berth, showing the low rail and protecting-straps in position.

A represents the side of a car; B, the top of the same; C, the ordinary hinged sleepingberth. D represents the lower section, shown only in part. E E E E are the side protectingstraps, made of some strong non-elastic fabric or substance, and provided at Z Z l l with loops, which may be at or near the center of said 5 straps, or near either end, as desired. Said straps may be as numerous as necessary or desired. These loops 1 are made by folding the straps back upon themselves and fastening thereto, as shown, a piece of strong rubber, as r in said drawing, of sufficient elasticity to cause said straps to be elastic and hold them firmly in place when fastened by hooks h and h over the rails t and t, as shown. It is obvious that any elastic substance or spiral 4 5 springs might be substituted for these rubbers,

the essential object being that they shall give sufficiently, if the occupant of the berth be thrown against them, to break the heavystrain before its full force falls upon the straps, and

thus avoid the heavy blows that would result with rigid or non-elastic guards.

The rail t t is attached rigidly to the outer and upper rim of the frame of the berth, as shown, thus affording a desirable attachment, which facilitates climbing into and out of a berth, and also furnishes a firm hold for the occupant during violent oscillations of the car. Said rail is placed in close proximity to said rim, so as not to interfere at all with the closing up and locking of the berth. The upper rail, t t, is attached to arms or fixtures F, extending outward from the facing'above the berth. These two rigid rails last described furnish the supports upon which the protecting-straps are hung or hooked, as shown, said rails being of smooth exterior, so that said straps may be moved aside and admit thus of ingress to and egress from the berth without necessitating the removal of said hooks.

I do not desire to claim, broadly, a device to prevent the occupant being thrown out of the berth, for that I believe to be old; but previous inventions do not present the advantages of mine, in that they are rigid and nonelastic, are difficult to arrange, being complicated in their nature, and make ingress to and egress from the berth comparatively inconvenient, while my novel low fixed rail t t is obviously of great assistance in ingress and egress, and furnishes a convenient held during the oscillations of the car, and my straps, beingelastic, do not injure the occupant ifthrown against them, and, being movable on said rails, need not be unhooked or the contrivance unbolted or unbarred, as was necessary with pre- 85, vious inventions when the occupant desired egress, but at the same time form a complete, simple, and convenient protection to the full height of the berth.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is- 1. As an improvement in guards for sleeping-berths, a series of independent removable vertical straps extending from the outside rim of the frame of the berth to the top or inclosed portion thereof, substantially as described.

2. A series of detachable straps attached to the outside rim of the frame of the berth and to an upper rail near the top of the berth, said straps being provided with elastic pieces for a portion of their length, and being rigid or 5 non-elastic for the remainder thereof, substantially as described.

3. The straps E, looped as shown at l, and having firmly attached thereto rubber or other elastic material 1', and hooks h and h, sub- 10 stantially as described.

4. The combination of the upper and lower rails and independent vertical straps or guards, substantially as described.

5. The combination of a hinged sleepingberth and side guards composed of the inder5 pendent straps,- the hooks, and the rails, substantially as described.

JNO. CHRISTIANSEN.

In presence of- O. B. BoUToN, LoUIs VIERLING. 

